Obituary

The Roots of Her Raising Ran Deep according to the Book of Garms….

Patsy Ruth (Garms) Thompson was born to her most adored parents, Ernest A. & Ella Lee Garms on November 6, 1938. She was born in the house she was raised in near Edmonson Tx. Just as she was born in her home, she left this world from her home surrounded by her family on June 5, 2021.

She was the youngest of seven most loved, ornery and witty children who have preceded her in death. Her siblings were Vivian & (Hubert) Jackson, Junior & (Mary) Garms, Raymond & (Alma) Garms, Norma Wilkes, Zona & (Bill Barker & C.L.) Beard, LaWanda & (Bob) Ramsey. One of her favorite childhood memories was riding on her older brothers’ sacks when she tired of pulling cotton. Sometimes it paid off to be the youngest..

She attended school at Halfway where she was allowed to skip two grades. Later she attended and graduated from Plainview High School in 1957. She was baptized in the Edmonson Baptist Church.

While working as the popcorn girl at the Granada Theatre, she met Ben F. Thompson, who was the doorman/ticket boy. Forbidden to date by her daddy for two years, they eventually married 66 years ago on October 26, 1954. She was blessed to be welcomed into Ben’s loving family.

Ben and Pat “managed” to raise two daughters, Stephanie and Darci. They were blessed with three intelligent, beautiful rotten apples (grandchildren) who they admitted to spoiling.

Pat was known by many names including Patsy, Ganma, Aunt Pat, The Sears Lady, The Pooh Lady (Winnie the Pooh), and Patsy Cline. After graduation she began working at Furr’s Supermarket and later worked at Sears for 25 years. Her customers asked for the Sears lady to wait on them no matter what department, because she managed all but automotive. While at Sears she did every job imaginable including helping her nieces and nephews open up their first Sears credit card. She worked during the days that your coworkers were like family, and she loved them dearly. She remains dear friends with them still today. After leaving Sears, she acquired her real estate license and worked for Billington Real Estate. On a whim, she applied with PISD as a secretary at Ash for her Stansell (Halfway) Community bus driver, principal Dell Brown. She followed Mr. Brown to Houston school and later became secretary to the Asst. Superintendent, the position she held until she retired.

It is no surprise that next to Pat’s family, her greatest love was music and performing. The Garms family Friday night jamborees will forever be treasured by all the nieces and nephews. Whether performing with her daughters, her sidekick/brother Raymond or grandson, Landon Ross, she was in her element. She loved dragging Stephanie along to accompany the Garms duo, but her passion was evident when performing specials for the church. That was her testimony to her Lord.

Pat enjoyed canning, water skiing, taking a yearly vacation with her family (which was MOSTLY driving), fishing with her dad while trying to top each other’s fish stories. She excelled as a seamstress (making both daughter’s and Freada’s wedding gowns, refurbishing the PHS coronation gown, costumes, her girls’ clothes and etc.), a novice painter, and with her cousin, Joe D. Wayne Garms, an enthusiastic genealogist. One of Ben and Pat’s greatest adventures was touring Germany researching and cemetery stomping to uncover the rich Garms history. Thus, the Book of Garms came to be with the assistance from her daughters. The Garms lineage was so important to her that she prepared a book for each and every sibling, niece and nephew in hopes to keep the Garms legacy alive.

Pat was a member of College Heights Baptist Church, PTA and too many civic activities to mention. She supported Stephanie’s College Hill students and activities, was an avid Bulldog supporter and assisted Stephanie for 11 years on the entertainment committee to support the American Cancer Society’s Cotton Barons’s Ball. Being a cancer survivor, she supported the Relay for Life. She was a member of the PHS A Cappella choir and passed the love of choir down to her girls and grandkids who continued the tradition. She attended and assisted at every school program, sports, activity, etc. that her children and grandchildren were involved with.

Ben & Pat were like no other couple. Ben never ceased to be amazed by her talent and abundant energy. Everything she did was to the nth degree. As they say, opposites DO attract. Together they laughed, shared life’s ups and downs, worked hard and pursued life with gusto. Her “I can do anything” attitude and her love of humor, wit and people will be remembered by all. Her favorite saying was , “Pull yourself up by your bootstraps and keep on a-goin’.”

She will forever be our yellow rose of Texas.

The family would like to extend their gratitude to their longest tenured, loving caretaker, Amanda Martinez, numerous compassionate caretakers, Buffy, Noe, Tamara and Jill from Hospice and Dr. Sergio Lara.

Pat is survived by her husband, Ben; daughter, Stephanie (Thompson) & David Sweatt; her most loved grandchildren, Landon Ross & (Abby) Thompson, Zachary & (Nicole) Heiskell, Madison Heiskell and (Joe Hooker); great grandchildren, Harvey Ross, Amelia and Aurora. She is also survived by a brother-in-law, Joe Hawkins, sister-in-law, Karen Feagley and numerous nieces and nephews.

Pat was preceded in death by aforementioned parents and siblings; daughter, Darci Rae Heiskell; son in law, Troy Thompson; grandchild, Matthew Sweatt; mother-in-law, Dorothy Faye & E.L. Plank; father- in-law, Felton Thompson; sister-in-law, Dorothy Hawkins and nephew, Mike Ramsey.

A memorial service will be held at 11:00 A.M. Monday June 14, 2021 at College Heights Baptist Church under the care of Kornerstone Funeral Directors. The graveside service and interment will be held at Plainview Cemetery. Her daughter, Darci, will be interred alongside her.